Thursday

syruping ~

We took a ride yesterday over to my nephew Dave's place to check out how things were going in the maple syrup shack ... to see if they were cooking down sap. When we pulled up we noticed there wasn't any smoke or steam coming from the chimney and ceiling vent. We missed it ... they started to cook down; but it was getting too late so they let the fires go out and said they'd finish cooking off tomorrow.

Making syrup is done under the careful supervision of Sammy ~ taking it easy ... laying out on top of the kennel on his bear skin rug ... I guess every job needs it's foreman.

Mom and Wendy did discuss the cooking off process ... once again ... as they have so many times before ~

starting with that one little plink plink plink of sap dripping from the tree ~

into a chorus line of plinks and plunks from many taps .... one of those sounds you just have to hear to really appreciate what I'm talking about ... the dripping of the tree sap into the metal buckets hung throughout the woods ...

yes ... it was a good way to spend the late afternoon ... visiting with Dave & Wendy ... being outside ... breathing in the spring air ... AND ~

being reminded by Mark and Alice's and Scotty's kids what it was like once again of being a kid ... playing in the woods ....

They were busy making a fort ... a few sticks across some rocks ... with a few handfuls of grass ... but it was sufficient enough to ward off the monster that was attacking the woods and drinking up the maple sap from Uncle Dave's buckets.

14 comments:

DAG Nabit!!!!!! I just lost my entire comment grrrrr. Anyway, I was on the phone with Mom when you picked her up for the Syruping Ride, telling her about Bill's new venture., funny, but the result will be the same.Thanks for the memories of collecting sap with the folks when we were kids and young parents ourselves. The best part was always the hot maple syrup on our pancakes and the sap coffee while we waited. Even the kids got to drink coffee during syrup season.I love the pic of the buckets hanging throughout the woods...looks a bit different than Bill's. Ha!BlessYourHeart

It is a look that you never forget, both the top and bottom entries. Sammy is a beautiful dog. I have ever seen syruping but always thought it would be fun to watch. We to have that slogan about Nebraska weather. When I said I would plant the mum cause it will get thrown out, if it doesn't rain, I raised the shade and it was raining. Surprised it has not snowed.

What a memory maker! I loved tapping and sapping with the folks. When I was in college in Missouri I wrote a story about it for speech class and after class they were still gathering around my seat for more information. I got an 'A' in that class. Fond memories! 'love & hug from afar'

Great entry and more of the abilities of the North Woods folks. Hard work in the cold. Kids can always find the fun things to do. I know to them it is a festive time, the grownup make work seem like fun, and the product in this case is fantastic. Maple syrup and Maple flavor is one of lifes smooth sweet treats.

Still done the hard way, insead of the areas they run the hose from tree to tree.

Good entry, love the feeling and the pictures of everyone especailly mom and then there is Sammy.

Mom, just wanted to let you know that I had a pair of cardinals in my backyard this morning before I left for work. When I stepped outside I could hear the male singing his little heart out from the top of the maple tree, so I started looking around and his mate was a few trees over singing back to him. They flew down onto the snowy hill by the garage but they were too quick for me to get a picture. Hopefully they will stick around now that the neighbors have their bird feeders out. (oh and the robins have been here everyday now for about a week chasing each other around being twitterpated)

Thanks for this wonderful, fun to read post. I've never seen a maple bucket attached to a real tree - except in pictures. I do always enjoy pouring maple syrup over my peanut butter spread on the pancakes for breakfast! How long does it take to collect a bucket full of sap? It seems there would be need for fast action when the buckets were filling - and maybe a little spilling of that sweet extract?

Ahhhhh! Maple syrup! Love it! The nearest I've ever come to this process (at least the cooking down part)was still a far cry from the deliciousness of maple syrup - making sorghum molasses which, come to think of it, is pretty tasty, too, even if it may be an acquired taste.

~mel

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I'm just a gal living in the woods up in northern Wisconsin. The purpose of this blog is to share my stories of my daily life ~ one never knows what the topic may be ~ AND ~ to share my love of nature,gardening and cooking.
You never know what's on the cooling rack at my house!

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